PURPLE RESPONSE

A lot of teaching could be classed as Lying to Children. This is because you simply can't give students everything at once - there isn't time for them to resolve all issues. As a student is taught a subject in increasing detail, the ambiguities and unresolved issues get taught in more detail. When you are a professional . . . then you are equipped to engage in those areas of doubt and unclarity.

There is no other way to teach. In his marvellous book My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok has the old artist tell the young student to master the old techniques, because only then can you break the rules. Likewise, we teach students the existing rules, and let them "consider the controversies" only when they have mastered them

This really isn't a Purple Response - it's something completely different - but it could be an impressive response to yesterday's purple post. He makes a good point, and uses a good book to illustrate that point. Here's the full post in context

But, for the record Red+Blue does not necessarily equal purple!)